Odisha Chief Secretary directs exclusion of tainted officials, calls for preventive vigilance across departments

Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has directed all government departments to bar officials of ‘doubtful integrity’ from holding sensitive roles, stressing that a zero-tolerance culture towards corruption must be institutionalised at every level of administration.

In a letter issued to additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, RDCs, district Collectors and the Director General of Vigilance, Ahuja cited recent vigilance cases to underline the urgency of preventive action.

He noted that punitive measures alone are not enough and called for systemic elimination of corruption through administrative, legal, social, economic and educational interventions.

Preventive Vigilance Framework

As per the letter, departments have been asked to constitute Internal Vigilance Committees (IVCs) tasked with identifying sensitive areas vulnerable to malpractice and preparing both short- and long-term action plans.

As emphasised by the Santhanam Committee recommendations, the Chief Secretary said risks tied to discretionary powers, monopolies in service delivery, weak grievance redressal, poor detection systems and low public awareness must be addressed without delay.

He further stressed the adoption of technology-driven reforms such as e-tendering, e-procurement, Work Passbook, WAMIS, Ease of Doing Business portals, direct benefit transfer (DBT) for funds, and online HR management systems. These, he noted, would plug loopholes, improve transparency, and reduce human discretion in key processes.

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Transparent HR Practices

Calling for transparency in staffing, the letter directed that officials with tainted records must not be placed in positions dealing with finances, procurement, or citizen services.

Departments have been advised to strengthen online transfer policies, rotate staff in sensitive roles, and replicate successful models already implemented in some offices.